Harmony Reigns as Ancelotti and Real Madrid Proves a Winning Combination

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti watches the Spanish La Liga match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cadiz, Spain, Sunday, May 15, 2022. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti watches the Spanish La Liga match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cadiz, Spain, Sunday, May 15, 2022. (AP)
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Harmony Reigns as Ancelotti and Real Madrid Proves a Winning Combination

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti watches the Spanish La Liga match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cadiz, Spain, Sunday, May 15, 2022. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti watches the Spanish La Liga match between Cadiz and Real Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cadiz, Spain, Sunday, May 15, 2022. (AP)

Even Carlo Ancelotti, the calm and carefree Italian, whose return to Real Madrid has been as harmonious as it has been successful, will get the jitters before Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool.

No manager has reached as many Champions League finals as Ancelotti's five, with the 62-year-old winning three of his previous four, the first with AC Milan almost two decades ago, back in 2003, AFP said.

But experience has not made the build-up to the biggest games any easier.

"The most stressful moment is always in the three or four hours before the game. It's a physical thing and I've struggled with it a bit more this season," Ancelotti said at a press conference on Tuesday, a smile coming across his face.

"There is a lot of sweating, the heart beats faster and those negative thoughts creep in. Believe me, there is no tablet or medicine you can take. You just have to put up with it."

As Ancelotti spoke, journalists laughed and shortly after, the players laughed too, Ancelotti beginning his training session at Valdebebas with a short speech, the squad huddled round, applauding as it finished.

"For now it's about enjoying it," said Ancelotti. "We are calm, they are calm. Everyone is happy, there is a good atmosphere.

"As we get closer to the match there will be all the other things, some nerves, which is all very normal. Today it's just about really looking forward to playing in another final."

Ancelotti's ability to manage and motivate players means his tactical nous perhaps get overlooked.

Real Madrid won La Liga with four games to spare, finishing 13 points ahead of Barcelona. In the early months, Ancelotti successfully fixed Madrid's defence, which had been ripped apart after the departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane.

- 'Motorbike' Vinicius -
He found a way of playing that unleashed Vinicius Junior, the 21-year-old Brazilian, who he said had "a motorbike in his boots" and who this season has been one of the deadliest forwards in the world.

He unashamedly played deeper, which suited Vinicius and Karim Benzema on the break, and accommodated a classy but ageing midfield.

"(Jurgen) Klopp and (Thomas) Tuchel, the German school of tactics, they have brought more intensity in recent years," Ancelotti said.

"I don't think I'm from an older generation, I watch the changes in football, what is happening and what will happen next.

"But the most important thing is the characteristics of the players you have. It's about what's in front of you, not what's in your head.

"You can't press with a striker who is fat."

Yet Real Madrid's success this season has come less from the system or the style than Ancelotti's connection with the players. Every controversy has come and gone, the player and team always put ahead of his own ego and reputation.

When Toni Kroos showed his frustration at being substituted, Ancelotti said "he got annoyed with the manager not the man".

When Real Madrid were thrashed at home by Barcelona, he said: "We have to keep perspective, we can't lose our heads."

Even the sidelining of Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale has happened without fuss.

- 'Not a single mess this season' -
During the semi-final against Manchester City, Kroos said Ancelotti asked the veteran players for advice about substitutions in extra time.

"That describes perfectly the manager he is and why he works so well with this team," Kroos said.

"I haven't had a single mess this season," said Ancelotti.

Ancelotti's arrival last year came as a surprise, not least to Real Madrid. The decision came after a chance conversation between Ancelotti and the club's president Florentino Perez.

For Madrid, it was a safe appointment, a coach for the short-term who could be hired easily and, perhaps, fired without too much trouble.

For Ancelotti, it was an unexpected and , probably, final chance to work at the very highest level.

For club and coach, it has gone much better than expected, a La Liga title already in the bag and now a 14th European Cup in sight.

"I knew about the quality of these players but what has surprised me is how they have kept their seriousness, their humility and professionalism," said Ancelotti.

"Players who have made history haven't changed, that's impressive."



Anger Makes Messi More Dangerous, Says Miami Coach Mascherano Ahead of PSG Clash

 Inter Miami's Argentine coach Javier Mascherano celebrates his team's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between US Inter Miami and Brazil's Palmeiras at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
Inter Miami's Argentine coach Javier Mascherano celebrates his team's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between US Inter Miami and Brazil's Palmeiras at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
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Anger Makes Messi More Dangerous, Says Miami Coach Mascherano Ahead of PSG Clash

 Inter Miami's Argentine coach Javier Mascherano celebrates his team's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between US Inter Miami and Brazil's Palmeiras at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 23, 2025. (AFP)
Inter Miami's Argentine coach Javier Mascherano celebrates his team's second goal during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group A football match between US Inter Miami and Brazil's Palmeiras at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 23, 2025. (AFP)

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano believes Lionel Messi could channel his emotions into a standout performance against his former club Paris St Germain in Sunday's Club World Cup last-16 clash, suggesting the Argentine excels when he has a point to prove.

Messi, who joined PSG in 2021 after leaving Barcelona, spent two seasons in France, winning two Ligue 1 titles but failing to secure a Champions League trophy. His spell at the club was marked by a strained relationship with their fans, with Messi later admitting he had been "unhappy" in Paris.

"For us, it's better if Messi plays angry," Mascherano told ESPN. "He's one of those players who, when he has something stuck in his mind, gives a little extra."

Mascherano was part of Barcelona’s famous 6-1 comeback win over PSG in the 2017 Champions League last-16 when the Catalan side, who had lost the first leg 4-0 in Paris, were coached by PSG's current boss Luis Enrique.

Several Miami players took part in that epic encounter, with Jordi Alba staying on the bench, but Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets all starting.

Discussing the reunion with Luis Enrique, Mascherano said: "Luis Enrique is my friend, beyond having had him as a coach for three years.

"We have a very beautiful relationship. It will be an honor to face one of the best coaches I had in my career."